Flower garden Little Paradise

	1. The soil in this part of the garden is a lot less sandy than in the rest of the garden (darker, moister, richer). All the plants I try and grow here are a success and weeds can't compete with them which also means that this corner needs little maintenance. In this photo, you mainly see the self-seeding purple money plant (Lunaria annua). The yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), not yet flowering, and the invasive, variegated ground cover yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon 'Variegatum') with yellow flowers, are also thriving here.
	2. Always looking for easy and cheap effects, I couldn't resist to plant lots of Aubrieta (rock cress). The plants need to be trimmed a little after flowering in order to keep them dense. The small yellow shrub is a Eonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold'. In the background, you can see some yellow Alyssum saxatile compactum (basket of gold).
	3. Most striking in this picture is, of course, the yellow ball : a blooming Forsythia. I have six of them in the garden, but this one is the tallest with a height of 1,80 meter. I began to trim the Forsythias this way five years ago. They're fast growers and give lots of prunings if you only prune them once a year or after several years. So I decided to trim them three times a year, as one would do with a fast growing hedge, leaving the trimmings on the ground (they dry up quickly in summer). For those who are interested : you can see a complete flowering Forsythia hedge in the final episode of 'Inspector Morse'. Very impressive.
	4. Ajuga reptans 'Atropurpurea' (purple bugleweed), with its dark foliage and blue flowers offers a wonderful view in spring. The plant can't stand drought though, and visibly suffers from it in summer. But fortunately, it's strong enough to survive, so the risk of losing it is limited. The white narcissus is a Narcissus 'Actaea', planted years ago, but not reproducing itself, alas.
	5. Here it's the tulips, of course, that catch the eye (even though Cathy tries hard to steal the show). I don't have many of them because the voles seem to really like them. Next year, however, I'll plant them in pots. I've learnt my lesson. The dark green plants with white dots are some heathers (Calluna vulgaris), tiny persistent shrubs that give the impression to keep on flowering (in late summer - see also Album 9 picture 18) even in winter.
	6. The little shrub blooming with very special white flowers is a Fothergilla major. Expensive and slowly growing, but a real gem. The leaves turn yellow, orange and red in fall. Behind it, you can see a Japanese flowering quince (probably Chaenomeles x superba 'Pink Lady'), with red-pink flowers and dark red young foliage. This shrub flowers for two months (March-April) and produces lots of fruits.
	7. A Cornus alba 'Sibirica Variegata' showing off its new foliage in spring, on a cushion of Nepeta mussinii (catmint, see also Album 6 picture 13) that flowers abundantly from mid-April till fall. The Cornus (dogwood) is a variety that stays below 2 meters, so it's rather a modest shrub in comparison with most of its relatives. An attractive piece of moss-grown wood lies in nobody's way here and adds a touch of rusticity to this country flower garden.
	8. Some Primulas (Primula veris 'Carnaval Gem'), a Spanish blue bell (Hyacinthoides hispanica), bleeding hearts (Dicentra spectabilis) : early spring flowers announce the big summer festival. The little pink flowers on the right come from a Lonicera tatarica, a rising shrub with tiny flowers that have the typical honeysuckle structure.
	9. Another picture taken in spring. In the background, the red leaves of a Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin', a big leaved shrub whose new foliage is very brightly coloured. In the foreground, a spurge (presumably a Euphorbia characias cultivar) and a cushion of Aubrieta. The grass, Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass), obviously needs to be looked after to get it back in shape.
	10. In the center of this photograph, the fresh green leaves of a day lily (Hemerocallis), flowering in mid-summer, flanked by some Primulas. The photo was taken a week early, as some dark pink Aubrietas have shown up a few days later to keep them company.
	11. This picture went a bit wrong but, after some hesitation, I decided to include it in this album in order to promote the yellow bloomer on the left : Euphorbia epithymoides (also called Euphorbia polychroma). It's an irresistible eye-catcher with dazzling flowers, growing in the shape of a nice bouquet. An absolute must have.
	12. A big bed of flowering Arabis caucasica. I may be overdoing it by planting so many of them together as this side of the border gets a bit dull later on, but it has its merits : the overwhelming profusion of flowers (Arabis is one of the earliest flowers in my garden; it starts flowering in late February) and the sweet scent clearly noticeable when there's no wind.
	13. Pulsatilla vulgaris (pasque flower) is one of my favourites. Wonderful flowers in spring, beautiful leaves and seedpods that remind of clematis. In the picture, they are surrounded by the leaves of some columbines (Aquilegia).
	14. The lawn, maintained at a strict minimum, has little or no aestetical value to me. It only serves as a passage to the back of the garden or to reach the borders. The dog and the cats use it to play around or to have a nap. In the photo : Winnie the Puss.
	15. Summery lushness. In front, the yellow flowers of the strong growing Achillea filipendulina 'Gold Plate' (yarrow, see also Album 9 picture 6). The dark leaves come from a Corylus maxima 'Purpurea' (purple giant filbert), a hazel known to be fast growing... in other gardens. The pink spikes belong to some Lythrum salicaria (or purple loosestrife, see also Album 8 picture 13), suitable for moist soils and also doing reasonably well under drier conditions. In the background, the hardy sweet pea Lathyrus latifolius.
	16. In the back of the flower garden. A row of (annual) Petunias are a guarantee for constant colour throughout the summer. The high grass with heavy spikes, foxtail millet (Setaria italica), is also an annual and produces magnificent cut flowers for vase or bouquets of dried flowers (this is the plant that produces the little white seeds you find in seed mixtures for songbirds). At the left of the Setaria is a large clump of annual Consolida orientalis (also called Delphinium consolida, larkspur), with big flowers in all kinds of colour, that self-seeds very easily. A splendid cut flower.
	17. In order to keep some colour in the borders in late summer, the use of annuals is very helpful. Here you can see some sunflowers (multiple yellow flowers on high stem, Helianthus debilis), and Lavatera trimestris 'Silver Cup', with pink flowers from July until the first frost.
	18. A beautiful day in early fall. The leaves of the young Liriodendron tulipifera 'Fastigiatum' (columnar tulip tree, see also Album 1 picture 12), in the center of the picture, are rapidly turning yellow. Flowers are getting rare. At the bottom, you can distinguish the purple foliage of a strip of Salvia officinalis 'Purpurascens' (purple sage, see also Album 5 picture 14).
	19. A photo taken in late summer. Nothing looks fresh anymore. Here and there peeps a little colour. In the foreground, purple Verbena bonariensis (purpletop vervain), and further away (and unrecognizable), Calendula (marigold), Helenium 'Moerheim Beauty' and hardy Fuchsia (see also Album 10 picture 9).
	20. Winter view with conifers around the garden shed (...only used as a doghouse).